Tr e
art installations, but I was there
r t an or o t or th oo
Who better to show us around than
our own Chef Jevgeni, who conducted
a culinary tour of the exalted Les
a
yon a
o
on t
know which us was more entranced
with the glamorous food market
off rin that a t rnoon
a
euphoric over the foie gras
macaroons, while Jevgeni was
bouncing around, pointing out (and
scoring us samples) of the best local
breads, cheeses, pates, sausages, and
ho o at
a th
hi ratt in off
cooking tips so fast I could barely
write them all down.
ABOVE
Humongous Papal Palace Avignon
BELOW
Always exciting to see if we would
fit t roug t e loc s
combined with exciting wine pairings
provided an unforgettable evening.
Day 7 Chalon-sur-Saône - & Beaune
As wonderful as our week was,
Viking really did save the best for
last. Patrick had found out the night
before that the optional excursion
to the Great Abbey of Cluny had to
be altered, since we couldn’t enter
it for reasons beyond their control.
Not only did they change the
itinerary, for a much better one as
far as I was concerned, since we still
got to see the outside of the Abbey,
and they added two additional stops;
shopping at the bustling Cluny
farmers’ market, as well as a
fascinating tour of the Château
de Cormatin. The Château was
an impeccably restored early
seventeenth century castle,
complete with a moat, drawbridge,
turrets, gunports, and stunning
ar n Th
a ni
nt roo
ith ri
or o art
museum quality tapestries and
breathtaking carved gilding,
transported you to the life and times
of early French nobility. To make up
for any “inconveniences” due to
these changes, in typical Viking
lagniappe style, they even refunded
us 50% of the tour cost.
Joan and I had made reservations
at the Michelin-starred Les Loges
restaurant that evening. This had
prompted some lively debates
between us, since we only had one
night to eat in Lyon and everything
hinged upon making the right
selection. Needless to say, I won...
and I nailed it! We were completely
enthralled once we entered the
5-star Cour des Loges hotel, a
unique blend of four impeccably
restored Renaissance homes (the
oldest dates back to the 14h
century) surrounding a dramatic
glass -roofed arcade-the largest in
Lyon-which housed Les Loges. The
i a inati
r
ntation o o r
+ course Chef’s dinner paired
perfectly with the dramatic setting,
as we dined in a sumptuous candlelit
Florentine courtyard under arched
loggias and sparkling crystal
han i r
h
nthony onn t
well-crafted dishes were
simultaneously fun and inventive,
yet with a touch of sophistication.
The highlights for me were Duck foie
gras with roots cooked in an oragen,
and the traditionally bred pigeon
served with 7'V